The big impact of small change

I read an article on FoxNews recently about the amount of money left at security checkpoints in airports.

In the past two fiscal years, travellers have left more than US$500,000 (S$630,000) behind each year in the form of loose change.

A few pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters here and there doesn’t seem like a lot of money, but it obviously adds up.

What seemed like a small amount of change on one day, added up to hundreds of thousands of dollars over 365 days.

Goals are like this. Goals require a lot of small steps — small changes that will have a big impact over time.

Here’s how you can make small changes for a big impact:

Focus on just one step at a time

Don’t get caught up in thinking about the many large changes you need to make to reach your goal.

Simply ask yourself, “What is one thing I can do each day to move me closer to my goal?”

Ask that question every day when you wake up and every night before you go to bed. And then do it!

Small change isn’t overwhelming. It’s very doable. The success rate of small changes over time is much higher than that of big changes all at once.

Become single-minded in your quest

Goal-accomplishment is simple. It just requires a decision and tenacity.

Be resolute in your decision to accomplish your goal and don’t take “no” for an answer.

Stop mulling over, “Should I be doing this? Is it worth it?”

You’ve already made that decision so you don’t have to go back and make it again.

That step is done. So be done with it.

Acknowledge what you are doing

Don’t spend so much time thinking about what you are not doing.

I had lunch with a friend and she was lamenting about an elusive goal she has been working towards for a long time.

Because she hadn’t reached the big goal, she wasn’t giving herself any credit for all the little goals and the little changes she had made along the way.

When we dug deeper into what was really happening, she started to remember all that she had done.

She came to lunch feeling defeated. She left feeling more empowered.

There are no trophies for beating yourself up so much that you can’t move beyond defeat. Give credit where credit is due.

As author H. Jackson Brown said: “In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins — not through strength but by perseverance.”

Set yourself up for success in 2014. One area, one step, one goal at a time.

What is one small change you are going to make today to have the tomorrow you want?

Article by Kaylene Mathews, the president and owner of KSMLifeCoaching LLC, and a published author. She offers personal and group coaching services as well as assessments and training workshops for individuals, groups and corporate teams. For details, visit http://ksmlifecoaching.com/. Article source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kaylene_S_Mathews